Improvement in stills tor hydrocarbons



' iuiird 5mm SAMUEL A. HILL AND CHARLES F. THUMM,

OF OIL-CITY, ASSIGNORS TO THEMSELVIBS AND OLIVER r. scAIFE, or r1TTsBnne,'PnNNsYLvANIA.

Letters Patent No. 101,365, dated March 29, 1870; antedated January 18, 1870.'-

IMPROVEMENT IN STILIJS POR. HYDROCARBONS.

The Schcdu-l.: referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, SAMUEL A. HILL and CHARLES F. THUMM, of Oil City, in the .county of Veuango and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and 'useful Improvement in Stills for of, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

The nature of our invention consists in dividing a still for hydrocarbon into a series of compartments which communicate with each other by suitable opening in the partitions at or near the bottom of the still, and providing each compartment with a gooseneck and condensing-pipe, and providing the bottom of the still with a series of plates, so arranged that the hydrocarbon will iiow in a zigzag current over the bottom of the still, the whole being so constructed and arranged that a continuous distillation may be carried on. K

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention, we will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings which form part of our specification,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of our improvement in stillsfor hydrocarbons, and represents `a portion of thestill broken out for the purpose of showing the arrangement of the interior of it.

Figure 2 represents a section of the still'when cut through at line y, iig. 1.

Figure 3 is a front end elevation of the still.

In the drawing- 4 A represents the still,which is provided with a flat bottom, and is divided into a series of compartments by means of the partitions marked n. In each of the partitions, at or near the' bottom of the still, are made suitable openings for the purpose of allowing the hydrocarbon to flow from one compartment into the other.

I he bottom of the still is provided with a series of plates set on their edge, and soarranged as to form a zigzag course or ways for the hydrocarbon oil to flow through and over the bottom of the still.

Each compartment of the'still is provided with a suitable goose-neck, to which may-be connected condensing-pipes.

`B represents the furnace of the still, at the back end of which is arranged a tank, C, for 'heating the4 hydrocarbon oil and forfseparatiug it frouinthe water priorto the `oil entering the still.

I o the Abottom of the tank C is attached a pipe, t', for drawing oli` .the water which is separated from the oil. This pipe is provided with a suitable valve, x.

To the upper end of the tank C are attached two pipes, marked e and h.

The pipe h extends down into the tank near to its bottom, and is used for conveying oil into 'the'tank,

, and is providedwith a valve, 2:. Hydrocarbon; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description therel The pipe e is used for carrying o the vapor and gas evolved during t-he heating of the oil and separating of' the water from it. This pipe e may be connected with a suitable condensing device when so desired.

vTo the side of the tank Gis attached a pipe, f, `which leads into the still, and is used for conveying the oilfrom the tank into the still, and should be provided with a valve to regulate the tlow from on to the other. y

The pipe marked 0 is used as a waste-pipe for carrying otl the water from the tank.

Having all things arranged as herein described and represented, with thegoose-necks D1 D D" D at, tached to suitable condensing-pipes, the crude hydrocarbon oil is allowed to flow from its reservoir, or is forced by a pump through pipe'h into the tank C.

Afire is then made inthe furnace B. The oil in the tank .C becomes heated suiiiciently to cause a complete separation of the water from it. The water settles to the bottom of the tank, and the oil rests on the top of the water.

Then the oil rises up in tank C to pipe f it com-- mences to flow into the still in the compartment marked 1;and Hows in a zigzag currentbetween the plates s in a thin sheet over the bottom of compartment l, and passes through openings in the partit-ions n into the compartment 2, and, flowingv in like manerover the bottom of compartment 2, enters 'cornpartment 3, and, iiowing inthe same manner through i't, finally enters comp ment 4.

By thus causing the oil to low in zigzag currents and in a thinv sheet over the bottom of the several compartments'of the still, a continuous distillation can be carried on with great advantage as to cost, and gain in the quantity and quality of the product of oil.

The crude oil, as it flows in the manner hereinbe fore described in compartment 1 of the still, evolves the light volatile portion of it which passes oi through the' goose-neck D1 to its condenser; that portion 'which is not evolved passes into compartment 2, where another portion ot' it is evolved. lIhe evolved` portion passes off through goose-neck D2 to its condenser, and the unevolved portion4 Hows into compartment 3, where another portion of it is evolved, which evolved portion passes oif' through the gooseneck'Dto its condenser, and the unevolved portion iinally flows into the compartment 4, where another portion is evo1ued,'which passes ol through the gooseneck D* to its condenser, and that. portion which is not evolved (a tarry matter known as residuum) is` drawn off and used as a fuel or for other purposes.

By distilling hydrocarbons in the manner hereinbefore described, oils of four different degrees of specific gravity are obtained, which may afterward be so mixed and combined together as to always obtain a burning 'oil of a uniform specic gravity and desired fire-test.

We do not claim a still divided into a. series of compartments, for such device may be seen in the patent granted Jacob Reese, May 19th, 1863.

Having thus described the nature', con struction, and operation of oiir improvements,

What we claim as our invention is. Aestill divided into a sexies of compartments, the bottom of each compartment being provided with zigzag Ways or channels, the compartments communicating with each other, and provided with a. gooseneck and condenser, substantially as described.

SAMUEL A. HILL. GHAS. F. THUMM.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. THOMAS, JAMES J. JOHNSTON. 

